The Role of English in India

            English, though a foreign language in our country, has a very significant role. In the present day, English is found everywhere from textbooks to songs, from films to religion. We can see these sign boards these days saying “Slokas from Veda taught here…Special classes in English is too provided.” This very scene is evident to show how much English has prospered in our country. It has travelled a long way and managed to grab every single person attention. This language, which was considered as a foreign language just a few decades away has today become one of the most important things in our lives; in fact, it has become a part of our daily life. We have nativised English and have created recognition for it in the world.

            English language had come into India along with colonization. The British, as they set their empire in our country brought in their language too. They realized the necessity for this for their own selfish needs. But it did do lots of good for us in the later years. The missionaries also did some role in spreading English education in order to preach their religion. There were lots of debates to eradicate English language in the post-colonial scenario. All these were more on a nationalistic sentiment basis. But these arguments came to an end and English was decided to be made the Associate Official Language until further decisions were taken. During the British reign, the medium of instruction in all governmental institutions was English. This continued now too. English was also helpful in solving the crises of languages in India. Our country has many languages and the States were divided on linguistic majority basis. So when time came to decide about a National language, there were lots of issues. Though Hindi is our National language today, there were lots of issues then. English acted as a link or bridge language and cut across all regional linguistic barriers solving a major issue. It became our language of communication. On example for this is the Judiciary system in our country. Almost every action from the dressing to the presentation of cases happens in the way it happened during the times of the British. They had created the system. We made certain small changes to it. But still many of that day’s aspect exist even today, just like the English language.

            India has a very important place in the world countries today. There are many factors for this. To start with culture, science and technology, music, books, architecture, medicine, etc. If we trace to roots of these, we can find out that most of these wonders reached the eyes of the world through the usage of English language at some point of time. We stand high in the world economy now. If not for English, we could not have even entered the world market. Similarly, we have had our own traditional forms of medicines. But today the world benefits them as it has spread across the globe. If one counts, there will be more followers of Ayurvedic treatment from across the globe than our country. This has happened because it spread with the help of English. It reached the foreign countries resting on English language’s shoulder. Similarly, out literature also began to get wide recognition at the global level. In fact, we have also benefitted a lot because of the existence of this language. We get to read many of our own great writers like Karnad, MT, Basheer and others just because their works are translated into English. If not just imagine, we would have to know these vernacular languages to read such masterpieces. And in a country like India, even if we learn languages for a whole life time, we will sure miss on a majority of the works. So, English has also played a significant role in a language for translation.

            English is also the language we use for foreign relations. Whenever we have any issue to discuss with other countries in the world it is mostly done in English. It is sometimes though done in any other language with the help of an interpreter. But even here, English is significant. English has helped us develop into a stronger and better nation in the world. In such a fast developing world, English is a must to sail smooth. The field of science and technology is developing everyday and inventions are being made everyday. All this is learnt and understood only in English. English hence helps us to stay along with the current world. It is also a language of communication today. We communicate among ourselves and with the rest of the world in English. And even education takes place in English today. Though there are a large number of schools which still teach in their respective regional language. But this is done with the aim of educating everyone. But comparatively education in English has become easier. In fact, we use many English words in our own mother tongue these days. We have borrowed words from English and are profusely using it in our vernacular languages. For example, it’s very common to use words like bus, auto, switch, fan, etc., these days. We fail to remember that each of these words have expressions in our own mother tongue. But we never use them. English has in this way made our lives easier. We can in a way say that English runs in our blood these days. The language has managed to be allowed to be altered according to our culture and traditions. It can therefore be called a flexible language in our context. It meets all our cultural demands and has won all our hearts. I would like to conclude this essay with a quote which appears as a comedy scene in the Indian movies today. But it is kind of the truth. J

“I talk English, walk English, sleep English.”